


tenderness

by poisonrationalitie



Series: Harry Potter Expanded Universe [31]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 00:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20648375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonrationalitie/pseuds/poisonrationalitie
Summary: Lily's mum can do everything, and isn't scared of anything. So why is she so upset about a book?





	tenderness

Sometimes Lily felt like she and her mother were very different. Mum played Quidditch, never let James’ teasing get her down and was always smiling or making things better. Ever since Lily could remember, she had been told she was just like her mum. It was true that she had the red hair and brown eyes that most of the Weasleys did, but to Lily, that was where the similarities ended. She couldn’t ride a broom very well, and sometimes cried when James was  _ really  _ bad. 

To Lily, her mum could do anything. She wasn’t scared of anything. She’d even killed a spider once when Uncle Ron was too afraid. So when Lily had brought home a diary like Lucy’s, she hadn’t known why Mum was so upset. She’d taken the notebook away and thrown it in the rubbish, and run to her bedroom. Mum  _ never  _ did that. If one of them was in trouble, even James, she’d always check that they were alright afterwards. Lily had liked the diary a lot - she’d spent all day decorating the first page. It was really weird to see her mum acting like this.

“Mum?” she asked, opening the door to her parents’ bedroom. Her dad was still at work. Her mum was on the bed - and she was  _ crying.  _ Crying, just like Lily did sometimes. She felt tingly inside. She’d made her mum  _ cry,  _ something not even James could do. Her body felt gross. “Mum? Are you okay?” Of course her mum wasn’t okay, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“I’m sorry,” her mum said, looking up. Her eyes were bright red. Lily closed the door softly behind her, and fetched a tissue from one of the bedside tables. She gave it to her mum, who sniffed and dabbed at her face. “Thank you, Lily.”

“I’m sorry,” Lily said, trying not to cry herself. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. Are you upset at me?” Mum patted the bed, and Lily sat beside her, fidgeting. When Dad got upset, Lily would help her mum make pancakes, or give him a big hug, or tell him stories. She didn’t know what Mum liked when she was like this.

“I’m not upset at you,” she said. “I promise. It’s just - when I was a little girl, Lucy’s age, I had a diary. But it was a very bad diary, and it made me sick.”

“My diary’s not a bad diary.” Lily said. “Well, it didn’t look like one.”

“I know,” Mum said. “I just got scared.”

“But you’re never scared.”

“I was then, Lily baby,” she told her. “I overreacted a little bit. I’m sorry.” Lily shook her head.

“No,  _ I’m  _ sorry,” she said.

“How about we go to Flourish and Blotts tomorrow, and I’ll get you a new diary? Then I’ll know it’s safe.” Lily hugged her mum tightly.

“Yes please! But will you be okay?” she asked.

“I will,” her mum told her, hugging her back. “Promise.”


End file.
